Absorbent roll holder with retaining structure and cheek guard



July 21, 1959 R, DlcHos 2,895,221

ABSORBENT ROLL HOLDER WITH RETAINING STRUCTURE AND CHEEK GUARD Filed April 1, 1957 IN V EN TOR.

I I Rosalia C Dichoso .1 E. a.

United States Patent Ofiiice 2,895,221 Patented July 21, 1959 ABSORBENT ROLL HOLDER WITH RETAINING STRUCTURE AND CHEEK GUARD Rosalia C. Dichoso, Birmingham, Ala.

Application April 1, 1957, Serial No. 649,692

Claims. (Cl. 3235) This invention relates to a device employed by dentists for providing a work area and for holding absorbent cotton rolls in a patients mouth, and has for an object the provision of a device of the character designated which shall em body improved means for positioning the holding elements in a patients mouth.

A further object of my invention is to construct a holder with improved holding elements whereby to provide the maximum comfort for a patient together with a minimum interference with the work area in the patients mouth.

A still further object is to provide a holder with improved means for attaching andholding it in position for use, whereby to adapt it for use in months of different size.

Absorbent roll holders, as heretofore known to me, have usually embodied a relatively wide flat or concave horizontally disposed tongue engaging portion and a relatively flat or concave wide horizontally disposed cheek engaging portion spaced from the tongue engaging portion to define a work area therebetween when the device was in use. The widths and positions of the two portions were such that they caused considerable discomfort to the patient when in use. Furthermore the means for attaching and holding the device in position for use made it difiicult to employ it with mouths of different size.

These and other difficulties are overcome by means of my invention in which I provide tongue engaging and cheek engaging portions each consisting of a concave, spoon shaped plate, with its minor transverse dimension disposed vertically when in use, the said plates being spaced apart to provide a work area therebetween. On the rear side of each of these portions is disposed a roll prong to engage and hold a roll of absorbent cotton. In accordance with one modification a narrow opening is provided in each plate adjacent the roll prong the better to hold the absorbent roll in place. In another modification I may provide semi-cylindrical downwardly opening roll holders. Extending downwardly from the lip engaging portion is a chin portion and connected to that through the means of a link with a spring pressed pivot at each end is an attaching member thus afiording means to adapt the device for use with difierent size mouths. The attaching member is held firmly in place by the frictional engagement of the spring pressed pivots.

A device embodying features of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. l is a plan view;

Fig. 2 is a side view with parts broken away;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a detail view looking in the direction of the arrows 55 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a plan view showing a modified form of my invention; and,

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawing for a better understanding of my invention, my improved device embodies a tongue engaging portion 10 in the form of a relatively thin concave, elliptical shaped plate with its minor transverse dimension disposed vertically when the device is in use. A roll engaging prong 11 is attached to the rear or convex side of the tongue engaging portion 10, the roll being indicated by dotted lines at R. Behind the prong 11 is a narrow opening 15 whereby to hold the absorbent roll more securely. The tongue engaging portion 10 is mounted on a flat arm 12 which extends forwardly to an upwardly curved bridge 13 which, as is well understood, is intended to bridge over the teeth. Forwardly of the bridge 13 is a flat lip engaging portion 14 and extending rearwardly iirom the lip engaging portion 14 and laterally spaced therefrom is an arm 16 upon which is mounted a relatively thin elliptical, concave cheek engaging plate 17, the concave side of the plate being in cheek engaging position. Also attached to the arm 16 on the convex side of the cheek engaging portion 17 is a roll engaging prong 18, which is adapted to hold an absorbent roll indicated in dotted lines at R. Behind the prong 18 there is provided a narrow opening 20 in the plate 17 whereby to hold the absorbent roll more securely. As shown in Fig. l of the drawing, the tongue engaging portion 10 and the cheek engaging portion 17 are spaced apart a sufficient distance to provide a relatively wide work area with a minimum of discomfort to the patient.

Extending downwardly from the lip engaging portion 14, and forwardly thereof, is a chin portion 19. Pivotally connected to the chin portion 19 by a pivot screw 21, is a link 23 which connects, at its lower end, by a pivot screw 22 to an attaching member 24 which is adapted to be placed under the patients chin to hold the device in position for use. Both of the screws 21 and 22 are provided with wing nuts 26 and 27 and with relatively strong springs 28 and 29 interposed between the nuts and the link 23 whereby the frictional engagement of the link with the chin portion 19 and the attaching member 24 may be adjusted to hold the device firmly in place when in use and maintain the parallel relationship of the chin engaging portion 24 and the absorbent roll holders 11 and 18. It will be seen that by reason of the double joint provided by the link 23, the distance between the attaching member 24 and the members 10 and 17 can be varied to adapt the device to mouths of diiferent size. Also, the use of the springs 28 and 29 obviates the necessity of tightening and loosening the nuts 26 and 27 to adjust the device in a patients mouth.

In Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawing I show a modified form of my invention which includes a tongue engaging portion 10a similar to that already described. The check engaging portion 17a is made 'wider than that shown in Figs. 1 to 5 and is mounted on the arm 16a with its convex side outward in cheek engaging position. A distino tive feature of this modification consists in the provision of a downwardly opening semicylindrical roll holder 31 on the rear of the tongue engaging portion 10a and a similar roll holder 32 on the rear of the cheek engaging portion 17a. The roll holders 31 and 32 are both mounted directly above their respective roll prongs 11a and 18a. In all other respects the modification shown in Figs. 6 and 7 is similar to that shown in Figs. 1 to 5.

The modification of my improved device shown in Figs. 6 and 7 provides a more secure support for the absorbent rolls employed with devices of this kind and a cheek engaging portion more comfortable for the patient.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have devised an improved dental device for holding absorbent rolls in a patients mouth which is simple of design and adjustment and one which will assure the maximum of comfort to the patient together with an ample work area for the dentist.

While I have shown my invention in but two forms, it Will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is: V 1. In a dental appliance for holding absorbent rolls in a patients mouth, an elliptical shaped tongue engaging portion with its minor transverse dimension disposed vertically when in use and having a roll prong on its side opposite the tongue engaging side thereof, an elliptical shaped cheek engaging portion laterally spaced from the tongue engaging portion to provide a work area therebetween when in use, the minor transverse dimension of said cheek engaging portion being disposed vertically when in use and having a roll prong on its side opposite the cheek engaging side thereof, an upwardly bowed bridge portion connected to and extending forwardly of the tongue engaging portion, a lip engaging portion connected to and extending laterally and rearwardly from the bridge portion to connect with the cheek engaging portion, a chin portion extending downwardly from the lip portion when in use, an attaching member,

a link connecting the attaching member to the chin portion, and spring pressed pivots at each end of the link.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 in which an elongated narrow opening is provided in both the tongue engaging and cheek engaging portions adjacent the roll prongs.

3. A device as defined in claim 1 in which a semicylindrical downwardly opening roll holder is mounted over each of the roll prongs.

4. A device as defined in claim'l in which the tongue engaging portion and the cheek engaging portion are both spoon shaped and in which the concave sides of each is disposed outwardly to engage respectively the tongue and the cheek. p

5. A device as defined in claim 1 in which the tongue engaging portion and the cheek engaging portion are both in the form of relatively thin concave plates and in which the concave side of the tongue engaging portion is disposed to engage the tongue of a patient and in which the convex side of the cheek engaging portion is disposed to engage the cheek.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,231,635 Nelson July 3, 1917 1,742,080 Jones Dec. 31, 1929 2,603,870 Nordin July 22, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 761,736 France Mar. 26, 1934 906,478 France Jan. 8, 1946 

